Search for Phuket Town online and you would have noticed the numerous mentions on Thalang road which is a restored street in the heart of the historic area at Phuket Town.
I wasn't exactly fixated on paying it a visit but since it's rather near to Raya restaurant (where we had a late lunch) and there was a Sunday night market on the day i was there; i thought we might as well just checked it out.
Flanked on both sides by shophouses built in the Sino-Portuguese architectural style, it was a colourful sight as the restored buildings were painted in various shades and colours!
The good thing about restoration is that there's a layer of consistency as seen by the common signboards hung outside the shophouses.
Eye catching rainbow windows!
Contrast between blue and yellow; the use of different colours has the effect of drawing crowds and i feel that it's the same case with art murals. In terms of duplicity, it's actually not difficult and that's why the originality will eventually die as everyone will copy for the sake of popularity.
Hence, i can understand why a blogger prefers old buildings in their original state as the stories could be intriguing to the outsiders. Unfortunately, the world nowadays is a lot more visual; that's why Instagram is preferred over Facebook.
We were captivated by this lady underneath a parasol who was grilling a kind of biscuit on a charcoal grill. It's a pity there's no sampling as overseas tourists like us wouldn't know how it would taste like.
She looked so at ease with her work and the whole setup looked relatively traditional; could be a family business and i can just imagine her in the same scene re-winded to a few decades ago!
An old-feel restaurant, with a Taoist altar housed within its compound.
Some of the products sold in the commercial shophouses; like many "restored old streets" in Asia, you can get souvenirs and occasionally, there would be the shops (like Torakan Store), that were likely passed down from generation to generation, selling less touristy stuff.
Vendors making use of the space outside closed shophouses to market their products for the night market. Should be official, i guess.
A relaxation spot.
When i stepped into this particular shop, i was immediately drawn to the glass cabinet; would i be able to get a cute one to add to my piggy bank collection!?
They were all elephants, not pigs! I did find one near the counter but it wasn't for sale.
Bagua mirrors and faded talisman paper above the door; i wonder if the owner is just overly superstitious or there are special reasons why there were so many of them.
Two gigantic street murals; the street next to the bird one is known as Soi Rommanee / Street of Happiness. Along the street, you can also find a popular ice cream parlour called Torry's Ice Cream Boutique Shop. Click here for more pictures!
Setting up for the night market known officially as Phuket Walking Street (also known as Phuket Sunday Night Market) with a 350-meter stretch of Thalong road closed to the traffic!
I was interested to check out the adjacent Krabi Road although at that time, i thought it was part of Thalong road until i checked out google map and realized my mistake.
A cool shop selling antiques and other retro stuff like tiffin carriers! Without the night market, the area was quiet and deserted despite the crowd just across the cross-junction!
Entry to the Phuket Taihua Museum.
Once housing the Phuket Thai Hua school, the architecture of the 1934 building was found to be more similar to the Chinese style in Penang. Didn't pay to go in as we didn't have sufficient time.
Cafe'in; a cafe connected to the Thaihua museum that has a large ice-kacang like mural on its wall! Frankly, there were a number of wall murals in that area; time was just not on our side.
Faded couplets this time.
Returning back to Thalang road; if i was staying a night in Phuket Town, i might walk into The Old Phuket Coffee Coffee Station for my morning caffeine fix!
Checking out the food and non-food sections in the Phuket Walking Street! Click here for more pictures! As mentioned in the post, i would love to stay one or two nights in Phuket Town the next time i visit as my short stay earlier this year doesn't allow me the luxury for a detailed exploration!
=====
Location
Thalang Road,
Phuket Town,
Phuket, Thailand
Private Driver Arrangement
If you are interested to engage Mr Daj (the driver we engaged) for your day trip, you may whatsapp him at +66 86 274 9195 or email him at ded.chatha@gmail.com.
What else i did in Phuket?
Check out my 5-day Phuket itinerary here!